World No. 1 Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen displayed a heartwarming gesture on Friday by giving his Player of the Match Award to Vidit Gujrathi in the Global Chess League. Notably, Carlsen put an end to Javokhir Sindarov’s three-game winning streak, while Gujarathi recorded a win over Daniil Dubov in a rook-knight endgame to push Alpine APL Pipers beat FYERS American Gambits 9-7 in the penultimate round of GCL in Bengaluru on Friday.
Carlsen was awarded Player of the Match, which he went on to pass on to Gujrathi, stating that he deserved it more. “To win, I will say though, that as much as I’m happy with the game and happy with the win, uh, I do not deserve this player of the match as much as the man who won us the match, so I would like to. Respectfully pass on the trophy to Vidit,” Carlsen said after the game.
Vidit Gujarathi Reacts to Magnus Carlsen’s Gesture
The Indian Chess Grandmaster reacted to Carlsen’s gesture through social media. He tweeted, “This one is special. Getting appreciation from the G.O.A.T. himself! Thanks Magnus.” Coming back to the game, both teams began the ninth round on level in terms of both match and game points. The 35-year-old went on to dominate Sindarov on the icon board, and maintained control throughout the 36-move contest. On the other hand, Vidit and Dubov engaged in an intense contest that came down to time pressure. However, Gujrathi kept his calm
Speaking of the standings, the Gangdes Grandmasters are sitting at the top of the standings with 18 match points and 88 game points. On the other hand, the Alpine APL Pipers are in the second spot with 18 match points and 82 game points from nine games. The third spot has been occupied by the FYERS American Gambits with 15 match points and 80 game points.
